US Open: Novak Djokovic attains this unique Grand Slam record
Novak Djokovic made history as the first tennis player to achieve 90 career wins at all four Grand Slam tournaments. He reached this milestone after defeating fellow Serbian Laslo Djere in the US Open's second round on Wednesday night. The match ended prematurely due to an injury sustained by Djere, resulting in his retirement from the game with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 in favor of Djokovic. Here are further details.
Djokovic surpasses Federer at the US Open
Djokovic has surpassed Roger Federer (89) for the second-most men's singles match wins at the US Open, becoming the only player in the Open Era to record 90+ men's singles match wins at all four Grand Slam events.
Djokovic's impressive Grand Slam record
Djokovic's Grand Slam record: 94-9 at the Australian Open (10 titles), 96-16 at Roland Garros (3 titles), 97-12 at Wimbledon (7 titles), and 90-13 at the US Open (4 titles). He has won 24 men's singles career Grand Slams. This achievement places him in an elite group of tennis players who have reached this milestone. Other members include Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, and Serena Williams, with 98, 101, and 108 career wins respectively at the Flushing Meadows.
Djokovic reflects on his victory
Following the match, Djokovic expressed his thoughts on the unexpected end. "You know, in the end not the kind of finish that we players or crowd wants to see," he said. He credited the intense physical battle in the first two sets and expressed satisfaction with his performance during the game's crucial moments.
Djokovic's next challenge at the US Open
Djokovic is set to face No. 28-seeded Alexei Popyrin in his next match at the US Open. Popyrin advanced after defeating Spain's Pedro Martinez with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-4, 6-0. Djokovic leads their head-to-head record, having won all three previous encounters. However, in their two meetings this year at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Popyrin pushed him to four sets.
Match summary and Djokovic's career highlights
The Serbian served just three aces compared to fellow Serbian's 11 aces. The 37-year-old committed eight double faults while Djere committed only one fault. Djokovic led his opponent in total points won with 90 points compared to Dejere's 72. He has held the number one spot in the ATP Rankings for a record 428 weeks across 13 different years and has finished as year-end Number one a record eight times. He also won the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal.
